


In Another Life

by gayyyluigi



Category: Night at the Museum (2006 2009)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, M/M, Reincarnation, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-28
Updated: 2015-01-28
Packaged: 2018-03-09 12:27:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3249662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayyyluigi/pseuds/gayyyluigi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A post-coital cuddle prompts the discussion of soulmates between Jedediah and Octavius. Could they have known each other in their previous lives? And if they were to ever be born again, would they meet once more? Cowritten by my friend Judas. (Fic discontinued, as Judas is currently too busy to write with me. My apologies!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

When Jedediah had first admitted his feelings to Octavius, it had been a rather... Interesting experience. He had caught a glimpse up Octavius's "man-skirt", and he had gotten quite the eyeful, considering that the Roman did not wear underpants. He had spent the rest of the night with his cheeks flushed a deep cherry red, and had remained so until Octavius inquired just what was wrong with him. After trying and failing to dodge the subject multiple times, Jed was finally forced to admit what he had seen, and how much he had liked it. After a few sheepish confessions from both sides, Jed and Octavius entered a relationship, realizing that they each held both sexual and romantic attraction for their counterpart. With such an awkward, sexual start to their relationship, it wasn't much of a surprise that their first real sexual encounter would begin in a similar way.

It had been a few weeks since he had spent his first night with Jedediah and though they were till incredibly secretive about it, Octavius content with how thing were. He was quite pleased with it, really. He could have his lover and not have to worry about the scandal it would cause back home. He could think of that some other time. 

For now, he would merely focus on the fact that he and Jedediah were meant to be having one of their date night that day and date nights were always a lovely thing. They were meant to meet up at ten in the space connecting the two dioramas and Octavius waited for a short while before going off in search of his cowboy. It was unlike him to be late. 

He eventually came upon Jedediah's home, letting himself in since he knew the cowboy didn't mind. It didn't take more than a moment to spot him and when he did, Octavius found himself wishing he'd been patient. He sputtered and tumbled over his words for a moment before settling on turning bright red and covering his eyes.

Unfortunately for Octavius, Jed had completely forgotten that tonight had been the night that they were supposed to meet up for their date. He had woken up that night with a very vivid image of Octavius's member, and he couldn't get it out of his mind. His solution? Masturbate, of course.

Jed hadn't noticed that Octavius had entered his home. He lay on the couch, hat over his eyes as he stroked his aching cock. He was naked from the waist down, pants and undies bunched around his knees. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top, his chest glistening with sweat as his hot body burned with passion. Soft gasps escaped his parted lips as he pumped his cock, and his inner thighs trembled as his pleasure mounted.

"Nn... O-Octavius," Jed groaned, his face flushed deeply with pleasure as his imagination ran wild. His hips arched, and precum beaded on the tip of his rosy cock.

Octavius turned even redder when he heard Jedediah's moan. How was he supposed to react to that aside from overwhelming arousal and immense embarrassment? He risked taking a peek, groaning softly when he did. 

Jedediah really was gorgeous. Burning red with shame, Octavius cleared his throat awkwardly. "Er... Jedediah..." he mumbled, shifting about awkwardly by the entrance of the living room.

When he heard Octavius's voice, Jed thought it was part of his fantasy at first. He groaned again, giving his cock a few long, hard strokes. "Y-yeah, Oct... Mmm..." Then, he realized that the voice he had heard was too real to be imaginary, and too tentative to be part of his fantasy. Jed shot up into a sitting position, hat flying backwards and landing on the floor as Jed let out a shrill cry and quickly covered his manhood with a throw pillow.

"This ain't whut it looks like!" Jed cried, his face as red as a beet as he avoided Octavius's gaze. His country accent was significantly thicker due to his humiliation. "I swear...! F-fuck, wait, it /is/ whut it looks like... D-damnit..." He brought his knees to his chest, a look of pure shame and humiliation on his face. "Shit... Tanight was date night...! Aw, hell, Tavy...!"

Octavius turned bright red as Jedediah continued touching himelf and then looked even more embarrassed when it finally clicked to Jed that he was standing right there. He cleared his throat awkwardly and tugged at the edge of his uniform. 

"It'..." His voice broke and he paused to get it level again. "It's all right. I just... Was concerned when you were late. I, um, apologize. Should... Should I leave?" he asked, using all his energy on keeping his breathing even.

"Uh..." Jed fiddled with his shirt collar, his breathing a bit labored as he battled both arousal and embarrassment. "W-well... I, uh... Jus'..." He cleared his throat, letting out a cough as he tried to regain his composure.

"D-do... D-d'ya /wanna/ leave...?" Jed inquired shakily. "I m-mean... If ya wanna... M-maybe, uh..." He bit his lip, face blushing even harder as he tripped over his words.

"No, I mean... You can... finish before we leave. Uh..." Octavius coughed, tripping over hi words as well and feeling his face burn. "I um, I don't mind. Really." he assured him, shifting from foot to foot awkwardly.

"N-no, I m-meant that..." Jed whimpered slightly before realizing the noise had escaped, and he shrunk down sheepishly after he heard the noise. "Uh... O-Oct, uh... Maybe ya wanna..." He cursed his shyness around his lover, throat tightening as tears of embarrassment pricked at his eyes. "M-maybe wanna, uh... Nn... N-nevermind, I'm b-bein' stupid..." He groaned and put his head on his knees, inwardly shaming himself for being so dopey around Octavius.

"Oh." he said, realizing the question and briefly wondering if it was possible to die of heatstroke from blushing too hard. "I... really don't know what to do with such a thing..." he admitted in a mumble, feeling his ears burn as he kept his gaze down at the floor and his sandals.

"D-didn't'cha ever have a r-romp around when ya were younger...?" Jed asked, feeling a bit faint as he overheated. "D-don't'cha know how ta do tha horizontal tango, Oct...?" He kept his face hidden, too embarrassed to look at Octavius yet.

"Er.... my wives a handful of times to produce an heir and the family stable boy as a teenager. But... not often." he mumbled, shaking his head.

"...ya got kids, Oct...? N-nevermind..." Jed shook his head, rolling his eyes. "We'll talk about that later. Anyway..." Jed stood, holding the pillow over his crotch as he cautiously walked to Octavius. "D'ya wanna... H-have a go at it...? Or are ya too scared right now...? Not like it's a bad thing or anythin'..." Jed gave a nervous smile, trying not to seem too uncertain.

"Well not here, obviously." he scoffed, shaking his head. He swallowed thickly, trying to keep from very obviously staring down at Jedediah's crotch. "I can... try." he decided, nodding a bit shyly.

"Uh..." Jed smiled nervously, gesturing towards the back room. "Y-ya wanna head back t' th' bedroom...?" He shuddered, biting his lip sheepishly. "I, uh... Got some lube... An'... We could, uh... Ya know..."

He blushed and nodded. "All right... You will have to be patient with me. I'm afraid I'll be a bit rubbish with it all." he warned, very shyly going to follow Jed to his bedroom.

Jed chuckled nervously, taking Octavius's hand and taking him to the bedroom. "Hell, not like I'll be any better. 'S been decades, centuries since I did anythin' like this, heh." He smiled reassuringly, sitting down on the quaint wooden queen-sized bed. "If ya wanna... Strip down... Then yer welcome to. Only if ya want."

Octavius went with him, nodding as first set his helmet and sandals aside and then went about taking off his armor, incredibly methodical and mechanical as he did so. It was simply the Roman way of going about these things. Practically and with a purpose. It was strange enough already for him to be doing it in anything that wasn't a pitch black room in the dead of the night.

Jed watched Octavius take off his uniform, breath hitching as the man revealed inch by inch of caramel colored skin. Octavius truly was beautiful, Jed had to admit. He stared in awe, jaw slack as he ogled Octavius's body.

"...wow," Jed breathed, cheeks flushed as he chuckled breathlessly. "Octavy... Hell... Yer gorgeous..."

Once his armor was set aside, Octavius took off his tunic, leaving him in nothing but his pteruges. He folded his tunic neatly and set it down on top of his armor, blushing at Jed's comment. "I'm... fine, I suppose."

"Fine? Hell, no, Octavius. I ain't about ta take that fer an answer." Jed stood, forgetting the throw pillow on the bed as he advanced towards his partner. With a tentative hand, he gently traced Octavius's abdominal muscles, caressing every curve and dip. His fingers brushed against the trail of hair leading downwards, and then moved back up to cup the Roman's pectorals.

"Yer so damn handsome," Jed murmured, looking into Octavius's eyes lovingly. "Yer gorgeous, Tavy. Yer a dream man, an'... I can't get over how damn sexy ya are. An' I know ya could probably say it much better than me, an' I don't do ya justice with my words, but... Hell, yer beautiful. An' yer not just fine. Yer way more'n that."

Octavius blushed at the touches, reaching forward to unbutton the rest of Jedediah's shirt and slide it off. His cowboy was just as beautiful as he'd imagined and he ran his hands along him, unable to believe that this man was truly his. He wasn't deserving of this. Not in the slightest. 

"You are the most beautiful man I've ever seen." he told him, pulling him into a kiss as he ran his hands along his chest.

"Mmm..." Jed moaned into the kiss, eyes fluttering closed in pleasure as Octavius's talented hands worked their magic. He rested his hands on the Roman's hips, pressing their bodies close together, albeit a bit awkwardly with his erection in the way. Octavius's muscled body felt amazing against Jed's own, the Roman's skin soft and warm and dark. It was glorious, and Jed could hardly believe that this was truly happening. It wasn't as good as his fantasies... It was /better/.

Octavius blushed at feeling Jed's erection between them, but focused on just kissing him like they spent so much time doing these days. When he had to pull back to catch his breath, he gestured down at the lower half of his uniform with a blush. "I suppose I should take this off?" he asked.

Jed bit his lip, moaning softly. "W-well... If yer ready, Octy... There ain't no need ta rush if ya ain't." He put a reassuring hand on Octavius's shoulder, giving him a gentle smile. "An' if ya ever need ta slow down or stop, don't be afraid ta tell me, ok? We're a team. We're in it tagether."

Octavius nodded. "All right. Well... I'll take it off. I don't mind being without it." he said, undoing the ties holding it up and slipping out of it, laying it in the corner with the rest of his clothing. It was strange, being naked in front of someone like this, but it wasn't a bad feeling like he thought it might have been.

Jed blushed deeply as Octavius revealed his semi-hard cock. Damn, the Roman was big. He chuckled softly, admiring his lover's size with a hungry look in his eyes.

"Wow, Oct... Looks even better now that I'm not jus' sneakin' peeks." Jed laughed, running a hand down Octavius's hip and outer thigh. "Impressive, hon. Real impressive. Guess I can thank this little man fer bringin' us tagether, huh?" He grinned teasingly, waggling his eyebrows at Octavius.

Octavius blushed. "Something like that, I suppose." he nodded sheepishly. He reached down to stroke himself once or twice, getting fully hard in the process. 

He blushed now as he realized how excited just seeing his lover had gotten him. "I, uh... how will we arrange ourselves?" he asked, going to sit on the bed with Jed.

"Hmm... I dunno," Jed chuckled, sitting beside Octavius on the bed. He stared at Octavius's member greedily, licking his lips. "Mm... First things first... Who's gonna top...?"

"You can top." he told him, eyeing Jedediah's length and groaning softly. It was a magnificent thing.

Jed grinned widely, straddling Octavius gently. "Oh, yeah? Ya like bein' shown who's boss, Tavy?" He purred, running his hands down Octavius's toned torso gently. "Mm... It'd be my pleasure ta top ya, Tavy. Literally!"

He blushed, placing his hands on Jed's hips when he straddled him and kissing along his jaw. "Don't get cocky on me now, love." he warned playfully.

"Mm... Jus' takin' th' role. A li'l role play, if ya will," Jed chuckled, enjoying the kisses. "Gonna treat ya real well, sweetheart, don't ya worry." He gently rolled his hips against Octavius's, shuddering as their lengths rubbed together.

"I've no doubt of it." he assured him softly, moaning a little as they rubbed up against each other. "I don't think someone as sweet as you has an ounce of malice in their body." he said, kissing him gently.

Jed chuckled, kissing back lovingly as he gently rutted against Octavius's body. "Mm..." He grabbed a bottle of oil from the nightstand, smirking slightly. "Heh... Ready fer this...?"

Octavius nodded, pulling close for another kiss as he shifted about to lay down on the bed, pulling Jedediah to hover over him.

Jed smiled reassuringly into the kiss, slicking his fingers with the oil. He gently traced Octavius's entrance, massaging the outer flesh gently to help prepare Octavius for the shock of when he inserted the finger along with warm the oil.

Octavius groaned softly, pressing down against his lover's fingers. He put his arms around Jed's shoulders, pulling him further down to deepen their kiss.

Jed groaned, parting his lips and inviting Octavius to slip his tongue inside as he gently inserted his finger into Octavius's entrance. With a groan at how tight and warm Octavius was around his finger, Jed carefully massaged the man's inner walls to help loosen him up.

He moaned, pressing his tongue into his cowboy's mouth and marveling at how wonderful it felt to have their tongues brushing up against each other. He rocked his hips a little, enough to encourage him to go for a second finger.

Impressed at how eager Octavius was to get another finger inside of him, Jed slid in another, gently scissoring the two digits to stretch Octavius. His tongue glided against Octavius's and he let out a moan, moving his mouth against Octavius's own. Their teeth clacked together a bit as Jed moved, and he blushed deeply in embarrassment as they did, letting out a shy laugh.

He let out a pleasured breath at feeling Jedediah scissor him open, subconsciously spreading his legs wider for him. He was just as eager in their kissing, laughing sheepishly when their teeth clanked together and nuzzling his cheek.

Jed pulled back for breath after a moment, panting softly as he stared into Octavius's eyes lovingly. "Damn... Ya feel so nice, Oct... I can't imagine how it's gonna feel ta put my cock in ya...!" He grinned, curling his fingers inside of Octavius as he tried to find the spot that would make him see stars.

Octavius blushed, kissing him again so he wouldn't be able to see how red he was. The kiss was cut short at the soft cry of pleasure he let out, holding onto Jed's shoulders more tightly to ground himself and not buck up wildly.

"Bingo," Jed snickered, admiring the beautiful sight of Octavius's pleasantly red face. His cock twitched at Octavius's cry, and he massaged that spot gently, wanting Octavius to beg for him. "Cmon, hon. Ya want me? Ya want my cock in ya?"

He moaned shyly and nodded. "Oh, yes. Incredibly so." Octavius murmured, rocking down against his hand and reaching between them to stroke himself.

"Nuh-uh, Octavy..." Jed swatted Octavius's hand away from his crotch, smirking. "I ain't convinced ya want it yet. Yer gonna hafta try harder'n that ta be able ta touch yerself or get me in ya." He continued gently tracing Octavius's prostate, his touch feather-light and teasing. "Cmon... You can do better'n that, can't ya? Can't a Roman beg fer 'is big, strong lover?" He smirked, eyes glinting teasingly as he circled the sensitive area with his fingers.

Octavius whined softly when his hand was swatted away, pouting and bucking up desperately to try and get some friction. "Please." he begged. "Jedediah, please. I need you." he whimpered, closing his eyes and fisting his hands in the bed sheets as he arched up towards him.

Jed smirked, feeling a rush of power as he watched Octavius write against the sheets, naked and defenseless and pleading. His free hand gently gave Octavius's cock a mercy caress, but it pulled away all too soon as Jed tried to entice stronger pleas from Octavius.

"Oh, yeah? Really? Ya need me?" Jed asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Yer a tough nut ta crack, Octavy, but I'll be damned if I don't." He continued touching Octavius's prostate all too gently, trying to drive him mad with desire. He wanted to have Octavius be a panting, moaning mess before he finally took him. He wanted to have full control of his lover. He wanted his lover to beg.

Octavius let out a high pitched whine at the single stroke he got from Jedediah, needing far, far more than that from his lover. Romans did not beg, but he was absolutely desperate now. He needed Jed to stop teasing and please him properly. 

"Jedediah..." he groaned. "Please. Don't play at games." He leaned his head back, panting heavily between words and struggling to catch his breath before going back to his begging. "Please... Just please. I want you in me."

"Yer not beggin' that hard, sweetheart," Jed growled harshly, nipping hard at Octavius's neck. "I dunno if I wanna do ya now! Yer not showin' enough enthusiasm!" Of course, this was a blatant lie... Jed's cock still pressed into Octavius's thigh eagerly.

With a growl of dominance, Jed gave Octavius's prostate a hard jab with his fingers to simulate a thrust from his cock. "Beg, damnit! Show me ya want it!!"

Octavius whined, shutting his eyes tightly, and pressing down against Jed's fingers. "Jed, please!" he insisted, on the verge of tears. "I'm begging as much as any good Roman could ever possibly muster the strength to." he insisted, rocking his hips against his. "Gods, just please."

Finally somewhat pleased with Octavius's response, Jed withdrew his fingers from the man's entrance. "We're gonna hafta work on yer beggin' skills, Oct..." He chuckled, lubing up his cock and pressing the head to Octavius's puckered entrance. With a groan, Jed slowly pushed inside of Octavius, shuddering with a moan. He gently kissed away Octavius's tears, panting against the Roman's caramel colored skin. "H-hell..."

"Romans don't beg..." Octavius mumbled half heartedly. He moaned loudly when Jed finally - finally! - started pushing into him, wrapping his arms more tightly against his shoulders and arching his hips up to meet him halfway.

Jed's hips shuddered and trembled as he resisted the urge to thrust into Octavius's tight heat. "Hh... O-Octavius...! T-tell me when yer ready... G-god...!" He grit his teeth, panting heavily as he tried to keep himself from losing control and pounding into Octavius.

He groaned softly, pressing his forehead against Jed's shoulder and groaning softly as he got used to feeling his cowboy buried deep inside him. It truly was the most amazing thing he'd ever felt and it had him biting back loud moans. After a few moments, he nuzzled against Jedediah's neck. "You can move now." he said, rolling his hips against him.

"Alright..." Jed groaned, slowly beginning to thrust into Octavius. He was so tight, so hot, and Jed couldn't hold back a soft cry as his cock twitched deep inside Octavius. "F-fuck! Octavy! S-shit!!" A sob escaped Jed as overwhelming pleasure and emotion welled up inside him. "O-Oct, I l-love ya so much...!!!"

He moaned, stroking himself between them and pulling Jed into a messy kiss. "Gods, I believe you've been blessed by Venus herself." he groaned against his lips. "I love you too. So much."

Jed gently swatted Octavius's hand away from his crotch, pumping the other man's cock in time with his thrusts. "Hh... Yer too sweet, hon... H-hell... My sweet lover..." He moaned loudly, face contorted with pleasure. "Octavy...!"

Octavius groaned, letting Jedediah take over in the stroking and rolling his hips to alternate between rolling back against his cock and up against his hand. He murmured praises in Latin, kissing along his neck all the while.

As Jed's speed increased, he began to pound into Octavius with loud cries of pleasure. It was obvious that Jed was very vocal during sex, just like he was in his day to day life. He cried out praises to the heavens, his face flushed and his body covered with a sheen of sweat.

Octavius was in the same state, though he was a bit quieter, preferring to murmur his praises. More often than not, he'd say them in his native tongue, forgetting that English was the common language between them. Not as though it was hard to decipher the things he was saying. He could feel himself growing closer by the moment, almost embarrassingly quickly.

As Jed felt Octavius's precum begin to leak, he sped up, groaning in pleasure and shuddering. He felt a familiar heat pooling in his lower belly, and he moaned loudly. "I-I'm close, Oct...!! F-fuck, I'm close!!" His thrusts became erratic and harder as he approached orgasm, and his body spasmed as he approached release.

Octavius couldn't do much more than nod to let him know that he was in the same situation, thrusting up into his hand more desperately. It didn't take much longer before he came with a low, soft groan.

As Octavius came quietly, his inner muscles spasmed around Jed's cock, coaxing him to release. With a loud cry of Octavius's name, Jed reached his orgasm, pleasure exploding inside his body like dynamite going off. His cum spurted inside of Octavius, filling him to the brim with his seed. "F-fuck... I love you..."

Octavius laid his head back against the bed, panting heavily and coughing a few times as he tried to catch his breath. "I love you too. Te amo." he told him, giving him a tired smile as he stroked his hair.

Jed rolled to the side and laid beside Octavius, caressing his lover's face gently. "How d'ya say that...? T... Te amo, Octavius." He smiled tenderly, propping Octavius up gently on the pillows so his lungs could get more air into them. "Te amo, Oct... God, I love ya so much..." He nuzzled Octavius gently, feeling a sense of calm and pure adoration.

"Te amo." he repeated, nodding and kissing his cheek. "You said it perfectly." Octavius praised. He shifted around with him, propping up against some pillows and pulling Jed to rest on his chest. "I love you too."


	2. Chapter 2

Jed carefully nuzzled into Octavius's chest, making sure not to put too much pressure on him so he could regain his breath. "God damn, sweetheart... Hell... That was so amazing, hon... /Yer/ so amazing..."

"That was amazing." Octavius agreed, nodding. "Probably one of the bests. At least top five." he teased gently. "Of course, everything else is just memories of a life I didn't actually live."

Jed pouted, huffing. "Only top five, huh? Dick." He gently slugged Octavius in the arm, looking more than a bit displeased. "Well, then. I see how it is. Ya like yer baby mama better'n me?" Of course, he was just teasing, but there was legitimate hurt inside of him.

"I'm merely teasing." he assured him, stroking his hair. He made a face at the mention of his wives, shuddering. "Oh, Jupiter no. Those are encounters I'd be happy to forget."

"Really...?" Jed smiled slightly, stroking Octavius's chest gently. "Heh... Nice ta know that I'm better'n yer baby mamas..." He nuzzled Octavius gently, smiling tenderly. "Speakin'a which... Are any'a yer kids around...? Ya got any in th' museum...?"

"Ugh, women are disgusting. I mean... they're fine as people. But I'd want to avoid touching one for as long as possible." he said, making a face. He shook his head. "I only had one. A girl called Julia and no, don't worry, she's not running about somewhere in the museum or back in Rome." he assured him, chuckling.

"Julia... That's a sweet name." He smiled, looking up at Octavius tenderly. "Kinda a bummer that she ain't around. Coulda had a stepdaughter." He paused, yawning softly. "...shame we can't have kids'a our own..."

"After my uncle." he explained, smiling. "Ah, well, it wouldn't really make much sense to have her in the diorama, so... she's not." He shrugged. He continued playing gently with Jed's hair. "It is..." he agreed.

"She's important t'yer history... She's yer daughter. She should be there," Jed sighed, kissing up Octavius's chest gently. "Maybe we could talk ta Larry about it...? I mean, he knows that grumpy ass that runs th' museum in th' day..." He shrugged, smiling slightly.

"She was... a small part of it, by comparison of some other people." he said. She had been his daughter, yes, and he had memories of caring for her very deeply, but he knew it was true and that she hadn't been of much relevance until she had been much older than she'd been when he been at this point in his life, not even yet emperor. "Perhaps we could."

"Don't say that if ya care about her, Oct," Jed scolded gently. "Ya sound like ya really care about her, an' if ya do, then she's important ta yer history." He sighed softly, kissing Octavius's jawline. "Never had kids'a my own... Died pretty young, so there weren't much opportunity."

"I do care about her. But she was really rather young at this point." he said, shrugging. "I died quite old, but never could manage any other children. And all the boys I kept adopting died off." he shrugged.

Jed smiled slightly, chuckling. "Well... I'm glad I got th' young version'a you. If ya were th' old version, well... I ain't about ta chase a man that much older'n me." He looked a bit wistful. "How young was Julia at this point...? It might be fun ta take care'a a baby..."

"No, I don't think things would have worked out quite the same if I'd been seventy four or something." Octavius agreed, laughing. He thought about that for a moment. "Not a baby, but... ten I believe. At the point the diorama's meant to represent."

"Well, that ain't too young," Jed shrugged. "Ten year olds are fun ta hang out with. An' no, I don't think I woulda boned an old fart like that." He snickered, sticking his tongue out. "I love ya, but... No."

"Ten year olds talk for hours, is what I remember." he laughed. He rolled his eyes. "Oh, yes, I feel loved." he joked teasingly.

"Aww, cmon, Oct," Jed laughed, kissing his lover's nose. "I meant that I wouldn't do that at my current age. Too big an age gap. But as is? Hell, this is perfectly alright." He sighed in content, relaxing against Octavius.

"Mm... Whaddaya say we jus' sleep here this mornin'...? Instead'a goin' back ta our places?" Jed purred, nuzzling Octavius. "It'd be like we were real people..."

"I'm just teasing." he chuckled, giving him a quick kiss. He smiled and nodded. "this is more than perfectly all right. Octavius smiled, enjoying as Jed nuzzled against him. "Don't you think perhaps someone might come looking for us?"

"So? They'd hafta tear apart th' diorama ta find us," Jed pointed out. "They wouldn't want ta do that, now would they? An'... I like bein' here with you. It feels like... Like we're real." He sighed wistfully, looking a bit sad.

He had a point, Octavius had to agree. Their presence would be noted, but he doubted they'd do anything about it. "Well.... all right." He nodded. "We can stay here and cuddle for the rest of the night."

Jed grinned, pulling the covers over them both. "Mm... Good." He grinned, pulling Octavius into his arms and rubbing his back gently. "If we were real... I'd do this every night before we went ta bed. I'd hold ya close an' pet ya an' talk ta ya... An' I'd be so grateful that we got ta see th' sunrise tagether..."

Octavius smiled as he curled up next to him, making himself comfortable under the covers. He rested his head on Jed's shoulder, enjoying the warmth. "If we were real... and back home, in Rome.... you'd want for nothing. You'd rule the empire right alongside me."

"That'd be real nice," Jed murmured, stroking Octavius's short hair. The soft hair felt nice between his fingers, and he couldn't help but smile. "God, Oct... I wish... I wish we could be real. Maybe... One day after we're melted 'n gone, decades from now... Maybe we'll be reborn an' meet each other again. I'd like that a lot."

"That'd certainly be quite the adventure..." he agreed. nodding. "Do you think we'd know each other?" he asked, yawning and enjoying the affectionate touches and silly conversations. "Maybe not at first, but... eventually."

"Maybe not consciously," Jed admitted, chuckling. "But deep down? We'd know that we were meant fer each other, I'd like ta think." He sighed, imagining the ideal new life with Octavius. Maybe they'd have a business together, or a nice home, or even kids. The possibilities were endless. "I hope that happens, Oct. I'd love ya be yers in th' next life too."

Octavius smiled and nodded. "Yeah... that'd be nice." He could picture it. A perfect life just the two of them and a bunch of little kids running about. Iit'd be wonderful. "It would be an honor to have you at my side next time around."

Jed chuckled, bowing his head. "An honor indeed, pardner. Couldn't imagine goin' around fer another spin without mah best friend by mah side." He became a bit sentimental, tears pricking at his eyes. "A life without ya don't seem like one I'd enjoy, ya know?" He paused, thinking. "Maybe we knew each other in past lives too. Maybe I was around when you were alive. Maybe you were around when I was alive. Who knows? ...if it happened, though, I hope we were close. I hope we were at least friends."

"It'd be terrible without you here." he agreed, taking Jed's hand in his and giving it a squeeze. He smiled at the thought of having been together all along. "Perhaps you were in Rome with me. I can think of one or two people."

"Like who?" Jed smiled, chuckling. "I'd like ta hear about them. Tell me how they were like, an' I'll see if it matches up." He paused, snickering. "Keep in mind that my namesake led a different lifestyle than me, so there's gonna be some differences, an' that's ok."

"Let's see... There was my manor's stable boy when I was growing up. His name was Felix. He was Greek. Blond, tall, looked a bit like you, if you were a Greek teenager and had green eyes. He was quite handsome." Octavius smiled, chuckling nostalgically.

"Felix, huh?" Jed smirked, quirking an eyebrow. "This is th' guy ya banged when you were younger, yeah? Tell me this... Was he any good?"

Octavius laughed and nodded. "Yes, he is the one I 'banged' when I was younger. We kissed for the first time on my fourteenth birthday and messed around until... later. He was... very good." he admitted, blushing.

Jed smirked, licking his lips at the thought of the two teenagers going at it. "Mm... Sounds nice. Was he a good person? Like, was he nice ta hang around?"

"He was very sweet." he nodded. "He was incredibly patient as well. I never was and never will be good with horses, but my stepfather insisted on improving my riding skills so we'd go off every afternoon. I was absolutely hopeless, but he'd help as best as he could. Not that we ever did much actual horse riding. Mostly we'd go out to the edge of the manor by some trees where we wouldn't be seen."

Jed smiled wistfully at the idea of riding horses with Octavius and the two of them sneaking off to be alone. "That's... Real sweet, actually..." He chuckled, twirling a bit of Octavius's hair around his finger. "Anyone else ya think I could'a been? Or does Felix fit th' ticket?"

"It was. It was nice. But then my stepfather found us one day and... well, he had to go." Octavius shrugged. He thought about it for a moment. "I think it was likely Felix. I had a few other close friends, but I do reckon you were probably a lover."

"Had to go...? What happened...?" Jed paled slightly at the prospect of Felix having to 'go'. Had Octavius's stepfather killed Felix for having relations with the young emperor-to-be? "Hell, Octavy... That... That's unfortunate."

"Father was in a good mood of the time, so he simply sent him back to Greece with the promise that he'd kill the both of us if he saw us together again." Octavius shrugged.

"Ahh..." Jed sighed, nuzzling against Octavius with a slightly sad expression. "An' ya never saw 'im again...? In life, I mean?"

He shook his head. "He didn't. I told him to run off before Father changed his mind and he was on the next vessel back to Greece." he shrugged.

Jed sighed again, nodding. "Well, at least ya had th' time tagether when ya were young... Ya got ta keep th' memories." He smiled, kissing Octavius's collar bone. "Better'n nothin', I suppose."

 

Octavius nodded. "I like to think he had a nice rest of his life back home in Thebes." he said, shrugging. "And we did manage more than three years before getting caught."

Jed thought about that for a moment. Three years together wasn't half bad. "Mm... That sounds nice." He thought about being separated from Octavius, though, and he frowned. "But hell if I let ya escape again." He laughed, kissing Octavius's cheek.

"It was nice." Octavius nodded, kissing his cheek and nuzzling against him. "Don't worry, I'm not letting you leave again. No stepfathers here to make either of us leave." he promised.

 

Jed smiled as he laid back in the bed, beginning to tell about his own friend in life who had paralleled Octavius. "Well, in my life, there was this half-native man called Jules... Damn amazing man, though he couldn't tame a horse ta save his life. One time, his horse nearly trampled him because he fell off th' saddle!!" He snickered to himself, amused by the memory. 

"Jules was an amazing man... Helped defend me on that final round-up when that damn native stabbed me dead. We spent so many nights tagether under th' stars, watchin' 'em roll by an' talkin' philosophy... I didn't cuss back then, didn't drink neither... Still ain't much of a smoker, heh. Jules could sure drink, though! He was a funny drunk... Didn't drink often, but when he did, he sure could put it away!" He sighed, smiling sadly. "He had th' most gorgeous brown eyes..."

He listened quietly, trying to picture all of it and smiling at what he came up with. It sounded like quite the experience. "You didn't swear? Or drink? Almost like an entirely different person." Octavius teased, laughing. "Don't worry, I promise no one's going to stab you this time around."

"Nope. No swearin', no drinkin'," Jed laughed. "But real-life Jed weren't exactly a cowboy either... He was a bit more refined. Plastic Jed was molded after him, but also changed ta be more of an ornery subject. More of a leader. Real-life Jed tried ta be a pacifist a lot'a th' time, tried ta go about things peacefully. Ain't how I roll this time around." 

"Well, I suppose my figure was sculpted a bit more after the real life Augustus. Without the go, though, thankfully." Octavius laughed as he listened to Jededediah's story.

Jed paused, laughing. "I remember one time with Jules, we were away from camp a ways so th' other boys didn't discover us... We were makin' love... Then outta nowhere, this baby deer shows up an' lays right on top'a Jules! Its mom got killed by a hunter, so it was cold'n hungry, an' Jules was a warm body ta cuddle up to. He got scared outta his brains!! But we raised that deer up, made her a companion... We called'er Leah. She was a good deer. Eventually moved on out an' had fawns, but she always visited camp when we came 'round." Jed smiled fondly, petting Octavius's back gently. "Jules always called her th' interrupter."

"That sounds incredibly adorable." he said, nuzzling his cheek. "Adopting a cute little deer together. Felix and I didn't have any deer, but he was also spoiling the bloody horses. Got to a point where my Bellona stopped pulling my chariot in races if Felix wasn't there to give her treats." he rolled his eyes fondly. Octavius yawned softly, laying his head down and closing his eyes.

"Aww... Now that's sweet. Horses are such sweet animals... I love 'em so much." He yawned as well, nuzzling Octavius gently as his eyelids began to droop. "Mm... Yer so warm, 's makin' me sleepy."

"I know you do." Octavius chuckled softly. Personally, he preferred to keep his distance but he knew Jed loved them. He smiled, nodding in agreement. "Perhaps we should get some rest?"

"Mm... Rest sounds nice," Jed yawned, snuggling close to Octavius as his eyes slipped shut. "Good mornin', Octavius... Sleep well." The two fell asleep in each other's embrace, and when morning dawned, they remained together, frozen in time until night fell once more.


	3. Chapter 3

Five months after Jed and Octavius first made love, a terrible disaster occurred, one that shook the museum to its very core.

It had started because of some stupid electrical problem. One of the overhead lights of the exhibit had had a spark and it had fallen on some of the cloths decorating the exhibit, starting a rather nasty fire. It had gotten out of hand quickly and of course, it was one of the few times when they didn't have one of the normal sized exhibits around to help put it out. 

The smoke was quickly becoming the biggest concern, as they could see very little and Octavius /knew/ that there were still many people too unsure of what was going on and unsure what to do or where to go. Octavius left Agrippa in charge for a moment and ran off to fetch Jed, who he knew would be able to help.

Jedediah knew that something was wrong the second that he caught the first whiff of smoke. He took quick action, rounding up the members of his diorama and herding them out of the exhibit, directing them to escape to somewhere they would be safe away from the fire. As he began to usher the last few out of the exhibit, heat began to radiate from the other side of the wall, where he knew Rome to be. /Octavius!/

 

Jed sprinted to Rome as fast as his legs would carry him, eyes wide in fright. Halfway there, he bumped into Octavius-- almost literally-- and took his hands and looked the other man in the eyes. Octavius kept from running into Jed by a very small margin. He stepped slightly to the side to avoid crashing into his lover, placing his hands on his upper arms to balance himself after the abrupt stop.

"What can I do to help?" Jed asked, a serious expression on his face. "Ol' Jedediah's here, an' damned if he don't help save yer home."

"Do you know your way around the Colosseum's undergrounds?" the asked in reply, already starting to tug him in that direction. "No matter, you'll learn now. All right?"

"Sure," Jed replied, following Octavius with a determined stride. "Th' West's already evacuated th' room. Th' Mayans are far enough away t'where it won't be a problem unless th' fire gets worse. Now we need ta evacuate Rome. So we're startin' from the bottom up, is what yer sayin'?" 

Never before had Octavius seen Jed so serious, so determined. There had been the night when Ahkmenrah's tablet had been stolen, of course, but this was different. This time it wasn't their animation that was at stake... It was their very lives, their existence. Jed was on a mission, and he wouldn't be stopped until it had been completed.

"Agrippa took to emptying the barracks and I put Lucius on the apartments. But there's some boys that go down to the Colosseum to play at Gladiator and every night I have to send one of my boys to go fetch them because they get lost on the way back up. I don't reckon tonight will be any different." Octavius said, leading him over to one if the Colosseum entrances that wasn't rubbled or on fire. He rid himself if his helmet and cape and pulled Jed in after him.

"Oh, Hell," Jed cursed as he sprinted along the underground pathways. "These kids are prob'ly scared half ta death...!" Jed ran along side of Octavius, his precious cowboy hat falling off and forgotten in the chase. With fear in his eyes and heart, Jed prayed to any god that was listening that they would find the kids that had been playing down there.

"Hey!!" Jed hollered down the hallway, his voice booming off the spacious halls. "Anyone in here?!"

"They don't speak English, Jed." Octavius murmured. "You'll only scare them." He rushed along next to him, calling out the boys' names and trying his best to keep the smoke from bothering him or slowing him down too much as they looked for the boys.

As Jed sprinted along, he hacked and wheezed, smoke getting into his lungs. He tried not to let it get to him, but it was more than difficult to keep from inhaling the putrid smoke.

«Octavius! Help!! We are here, we are here! I cannot breathe, Octavius!» A panicked voice echoed from down the hall, spoken in Latin.

"What are they sayin'?!" Jed demanded, picking up speed towards the sound of the voice.

Octavius was having the same troubles, but the adrenaline and sense of duty he felt to his people kept him going despite his increasing difficulty to breathe.

He sped up as well when he heard little Leonid's voice, knowing that his friends wouldn't be far. "Just asking for help, go, go." he said, rushing off ahead and into the antechamber the voices had come from.

«Legate Caesar!» Lucius cried, all but scrambling to jump up into Octavius's arms.

«General!!» Leonid sobbed, running to Octavius with another child in his arms. «Domitianus is injured! The smoke...! It's in his lungs! I-I'm scared, General Octavius!» He whimpered, tears rolling down his face. «I am frightened!»

Jed scooped the two children up in his arms, holding them tight. "It's alright, kiddos. We gotcha. We gotcha." He looked to Octavius, eyes wild with fear. "Is there anyone else?"

«It's all right, Leo. It's going to be all right.» Octavius assured him gently, taking Domitianus and passing Leonid and Lucius over to Jed. «He's that cowboy friend of mine. You can trust him, okay? Come on, your mothers are outside.» Octavius said, starting to make his way out again and gesturing for Jed to follow, trying not to think if how bad the smoke was beginning to get to him. Lucius nodded, holding onto Jed tightly and looking absolutely terrified.

Octavius didn't want to say what he knew Jed was already thinking. They wouldn't be able to get out of here fast enough. He was weighed down by his armor, Jed constricted by his jeans, and they were both already doing badly. Octavius took Lucius and Leonid, placing them on the floor and passing Domitianus over to his brother. «Do you boys see that right turn up ahead? Run off there and stay very low where the smoke won't reach you and then head straight up those stairs there, all right? Agrippa will take you to your mothers.»

«But Legate, aren't you coming with us? You will die!» Lucius insisted, looking warily over his shoulder. 

«I didn't bring it up for discussion.» Octavius said firmly, pushing at the boys' shoulders until they'd ran off. "They are much faster on their own once they know where they're going." Octavius explained, sighing as he very slowly got up from where he'd crouched down on the floor.

Jed helped Octavius up carefully, paling as he saw just how weak the Roman had gotten. "Ocky... W-we're gonna be alright, kemosabe... I p-promise, Jedediah's gonna getcha out just fine...!"

Jed helped Octavius out of his armor, throwing it aside so Octavius could breathe better. The uniform clattered to the ground, and Jed took Octavius's hand. "C-C'mon, Oct... W-we're gonna getcha outta here. Y-yer... Y-yer gonna be ok," he hacked, clutching his chest with his free hand.

"Jedediah. Come now. Be logical." Octavius mumbled. Even at their best, they likely wouldn't have made their way out of the winding underground hallways and passages of the Colosseum and especially now that they weren't at their best.

Octavius sighed, leaning his forehead against Jed's. "I apologize," he mumbled. "I'm the one that dragged you down here."

Jed whimpered, tears pouring down his face as he pulled Octavius in his arms. "Tavy... Sweetheart..." He sat down on the stone floor of the hallway, pulling Octavius into his lap. He let out a few soft sobs, gently stroking Octavius's ash-covered hair gently.

"If'n we ain't gonna make it out... We're gonna ride this one out tagether. Jus' you an' me, jus' like always." Jed wept quietly, pressing his forehead to the crook of Octavius's neck gently. "I... I'm sorry I weren't able ta save ya, lover... I... I failed ya." He sniffled, feeling ashamed of himself.

Octavius sighed softly, settling on Jed's lap as he saw on the floor. He wrapped his arms over his shoulder, holding onto him tightly. He leaned down to kiss him gently before settling his chin on top of his head.

"Don't apologize.... I'm the one that got us into this mess..." Octavius murmured, feeling absolutely heartbroken that he'd dragged Jed down with him. "Te amo..." he told him softly.

"Nah, Ocky... If'n I wanted ta, I could've bailed," Jed murmured, rubbing Octavius's back tenderly. "I came because I /wanted/ to. I came ta help ya save th' kids. I wanted ta help ya. An' we did it. Those kids are gonna be ok."

As the fire burned jotted and approached the two, Jed felt his plastic become sticky and pliable as he began to melt. Jed sobbed in fear, hugging Octavius close. "W-we're gonna be alright... Remember what we talked about...? W-we... We're gonna meet each other again. They can't keep us apart ferever. N-not... Not even death can take us apart." He nuzzled Octavius gently, trembling fearfully. Perhaps he had faced death before, but that made it no less frightening. "Te amo, Octavius..."

"Yes. They're going to be fine.'" Octavius said, nodding. "Agrippa was there to take them to their mothers. They'll be fine." And at least there was that. At least if he had to die, it was protecting the people of Rome that he so dearly loved and cared for.

Octavius could feel the same thing Jed was feeling. The heat coming nearer and nearer, overbearing and starting to make them feel malleable as they melted. Octavius stroked his hair and nodded. "Not even death." he agreed. "Because I love you so much. You know that, don't you? I love you so, so much. More than anyone has ever loved another person, I think." he told him, holding him tightly.

Jed sniffled, his heart practically swelling with love. "I love ya too, Octavy... Hell, I love ya so much... An'... I look forward ta meetin' ya in th' next life..." He paused, breaking into a coughing spasm. "I... I p-promise... W-we're gonna f-find each other again... It... It's g-gonna be o-ok..."

As Jed began to melt quicker, he held Octavius close and pressed into him with a sob. "Hon... I... I l-love you... S-so much..." His vision faded to black, and his chest stilled as the life faded from him. His last memory was of him holding Octavius in his arms, one that comforted him as he faded into death.

"We'll find each other, I promise." Octavius nodded, rubbing his lover's back. He could see his vision blurring and his hearing was starting to fade and he knew that meant things wouldn't go on for much longer. Solemnly, he wrapped his arms around his dear cowboy and was content to spend his last fading moments pressed up close to the person he loved most in this world.

Outside of Rome, Jed's right-hand man Billy had gone to fetch Larry per Agrippa's orders. Larry came and hurriedly extinguished the fire before it spread to the other exhibits, but... It was too late for Octavius and Jedediah.

Once the smoke had cleared, Billy had gone with Agrippa to try and locate the two under the rubble of the Colosseum, and they had been shocked at what they found. There, laying in a tender embrace, were their dear leaders, melted beyond the point of repair. The leaders of both Rome and the West... Had perished.

Billy looked to Agrippa with a panicked look in his eyes, feeling his chest tighten. "T-they... O-oh my god, they're... Agrippa....!" He collapsed on the stone floor, hyperventilating as he covered his eyes and tried to pretend that this was all just a dream. "N-no... No!! Th-this can't be happenin'!!"

Agrippa has known after the boys had come out on their own that Octavius must have decided that there was very little chance of getting out in time. He knew his friend had probably decided to just face his death with the valor of a Roman. That didn't make finding his best friend's body any easier. 

He sighed, placing a hand on Billy's shoulder to calm him. "They are. But it's fine. They knew going into it that this might happen. They are surely in the fields of Elysium now," Agrippa assured him.

"D-Diah..." Billy sobbed, curling up in a ball and hyperventilating, paling and breaking into a cold sweat. "H-he's gone...!! I... D-Diah's gone!! What are we gonna do?!" He wept harshly, sobs wracking his body.

With trembling hands, Billy took a knife out of a leather case looped to his belt. Biting his lip, he pressed the knife to the bottom of the mass of plastic that was Jedediah and Octavius. With a few skilled movements, he severed the melted plastic from the floor of the colosseum.

"H-help me carry 'em, Agrippa...?" Billy inquired, still looking quite faint as he rose to his knees. "Th-they... T-they deserve a proper send-off."

"They are gone from us but they're feasting with the gods now." he promised, kneeling down next to him.

He nodded, getting up with him to help him carry them. "How do your people send off your dead?" Agrippa asked, genuinely unsure.

"Well... We usually... H-have a burial, say some prayers, celebrate their memory," Billy murmured, his throat thick with sorrow. "But... We can't exactly bury them in th' exhibit or anythin'. We'd hafta ask Larry ta help us find some alternative."

Agrippa nodded. "I'm sure Larry will be willing to help us out in any way he can." he said, nodding very confidently. Larry was always a great help and he was sure now would be no different.

Billy sniffled, picking up his end of the mass of plastic, letting out an unintentional gasp of sadness and horror as he did so. Never did he think that he'd have to carry the body of his best friend. Never did he think that such a powerful leader would ever die, especially in such a horrible way. "H-how d'y'all send off y-yer dead in Rome...?"

"Typically, we cremate our dead. But I'm sure Octavius wouldn't mind being sent off according to your reliefs." Agrippa assured him.

"Not exactly like we can cremate plastic," Billy pointed out with a sigh. He began the trek with Agrippa back to the main center of the exhibit.

"Exactly." Agrippa agreed, nodding. He sighed. This would be a rather unpleasant transition, getting him to step up as Legate and adjusting to losing their leader.

When they exited the hallway of the colosseum, they saw Larry worriedly peering into the diorama. A quick gesture to the bodies of Octavius and Jedediah was all that needed to be done before Larry understood what had happened.

"What... What do we do, Larry?" Billy asked, worrying at his lip. "H-how are we gonna... Send 'em off...?"

From where he waited with his mother, Leonid let out a mournful cry, screaming to the heavens. «It's my fault!!! General Octavius and his partner are dead because of me..!!!» He howled mournfully, guilt springing up inside of him like a fountain. «Legate, I'm so sorry...!!! Forgive my sins!!!»

"Will you stay with them for a moment? I'm going to go calm the children." Agrippa murmured, leaving Billy and the bodies with Larry and going off to Leonid.

«Leo, my boy, there's no need to blame yourself,» he told him, kneeling by him.«Octavius has died a death that would make Mars proud. He is with the gods now,» he promised him.

Larry felt just as terribly guilty as Leonid as he crouched down by the exhibit. "God, I'm sorry, guys. I should have come by faster..."

"'T'ain't yer fault, Larry," Billy sighed as he bowed his head solemnly, taking off his had and clasping it over his chest. "They were jus' tryin' ta do what was right. They died as they lived..."

Leonid sobbed pathetically as he fell into Agrippa's arms, weeping like a babe. «We should have listened to him and not gone down there in the first place! He warned us that something bad might happen... But we didn't listen! And now he's dead, and it's all my fault, since I'm the one who suggested going there...!!» He clung to the new leader of the exhibit, a trembling, sobbing mess.

"They were some of the bravest men I had the honor of knowing." Larry told them, nodding solemnly. The exhibits had come to be like family to him and this was as heartbreaking as losing someone of his real family.

Agrippa held him, rubbing his back soothingly. «You're just a boy. Boys are supposed to go off and have fun and play. You were doing nothing wrong,» he promised. «Octavius wouldn't have wanted you to blame yourself, Leonid.»

The sound of clopping hooves filled the hall, along with the booming voice of Teddy. "Lawrence! What is all the riffraff?" He stopped in front of the Rome display, blanching at the sight of the ruined diorama and the two deceased miniatures. "Oh... Oh, no..."

Leonid crawled into Agrippa's lap, whimpering. «Y-you and him are like fathers to me... Guiding and caring... And in return, I let Legate Octavius die...» He trembled pathetically, looking as if he were on the verge of losing consciousness. «Legate... Legate... N-no...»

Billy looked up at Larry solemnly, sighing. "H-how are we gonna send 'em off, Larry? Any ideas?"

Larry sighed, nodding. "Yeah... fire's out, but... took me too long to get here." he mumbled. He shrugged. "I don't know... we could bury them out back, if you want?" he offered softly.

 

Teddy took off his hat, bowing his head and murmuring a prayer over the two fallen men. "We lost two splendid men tonight... We shan't forget them, and shall hold their memory dear."

Billy nodded, sniffling. "That... That sounds good. If that's alright with you, I think that's what we should do." He smiled sadly, bringing the bodies to Larry and putting them in his hand. "Such a tragedy makes me wanna seek th' sun, I gotta say. Diah was... He was like a brother ta me. Life won't be th' same without 'im."

"We won't forget them." Larry agreed, shaking his head. He gently tucked the bodies away in his breast pocket so he could take them outside later. "Those two little guys were important to ensure everyone here. But I can promise you that Jed wouldn't have wanted you to go after the sun because of this."

 

"Maybe not... But.. It'll be hard ta live without my best friend," Billy sighed, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Diah was a good man... An' it's gonna be hard ta move on."

 

"It'll be hard for all of us. But we'll get through it together." Larry promised. "Teddy and I will go tell the others and start handling things, okay? We'll be back in a bit," he promised before heading off sadly. 

 

«I'm sure Octavius would have taken a death protecting you and your friends over anything else, » Agrippa told Leonid gently to comfort him. «Why don't I take you to your mother? Would you like that? Most of the West is still intact. We can take you over and you can take a nap there.»

«Mother is right there,» Leonid sniffled, pointing behind him. «W-what would we do in the West...? Will we be safe there...?»

«We'll just he staying with them for a while. Until the museum gets our diorama all fixes up. It'll be like one very long sleepover at a friend's house,» Agrippa promised him.

Leonid nodded solemnly, standing and returned to his mother, who gently guided him and the other boys over to the West where they would be safe. Billy moved towards Agrippa and helped him up, patting the Roman on the back gently.

"Ya alright, Agrippa...?" Billy asked concernedly.

Agrippa stood up wearily, nodding. "Yes... I'll be fine. It'll just take some time to get used to handling things all on my own here."

"Same with me an' th' west," Billy admitted, sighing. "'S gonna be hard ta keep things runnin' smoothly without Diah's help. But... We gotta do our best." He gave Agrippa a gentle hug, one that was quick but meant to be comforting. "We... We can do this, Ag. Tagether."

Agrippa nodded, patting his shoulder as he hugged him. "Yes... I suppose we'll get used to it someday. Just that tonight... is not that day." he sighed, shaking his head.

Billy nodded in agreement. "Not tanight." He sighed, giving Agrippa a sad smile. "Wanna go get a drink...? Drink away th' sad fer a while?"

Agrippa laughed softly and nodded. "Sure. I do believe there's still some wine that didn't get burned." he said.

"Wine, huh...? Well, that sounds mighty fine," Billy chuckled. "It'll be a good way ta start off our friendship. Keep th' camaraderie between Rome an' th' West." Slinging an arm around Agrippa's shoulders, Billy walked with the other man, going with him to talk and drink the night away.

While the museum mourned the deaths of the two mini men that had perished in the fire, they did not realize that as they did so, the two were beginning their new lives already. The night that Rome burned, two little boys were conceived on different sides of the earth, and their adventure began anew.


	4. Chapter 4

Nine months after the miniature Rome diorama in the Museum of Natural History burned down, two baby boys were born, in different countries and in different family dynamics. These two little ones held the spirits of Octavius and Jedediah, and although they had no memory from their previous lives, they each had many characteristics of their predecessor. 

The elder of the two, Julio, was the child who held the soul of Octavius. Julio was the son of a wealthy Italian ambassador. Julio was born in Rome, Italy, but moved to England at a young age when his father was assigned to work there. Julio grew up rather spoilt, receiving anything and everything he wanted. At his request, he had been trained in sword fighting and taught Latin, and he was a very well-educated young man. 

The younger boy was named Josiah, nicknamed Jed for easier pronunciation. Josiah had been born in a farming community in Texas to a lovely couple with a fondness for animals. Jed had a talent for horse taming, and his favorite horse was a stallion named Gaius. When he was 15, Jed moved to New York with his parents to give the young boy a better education than he had been receiving back in Texas. They lived in one of the few rural areas of New York with their horses. Their land wasn't as big as the farm they had once lived on, but it was big enough to train horses and ride Gaius, so Jed was happy.

When the boys were 17 years of age, Julio was enrolled in the school that Jed attended, since his father wanted him to study abroad for a few years. What was more, Julio was to be boarded with Jed's family, since Julio's mother and father were remaining in England. Little did the two boys know that this was just the start of a friendship that would last a lifetime.

The day that Julio was to arrive, Jed came home from school, feeling a nervous knot in his stomach. Julio's bed was all set up in the room that he and Jed were to share, and some of Julio's items had already arrived in the mail, so they were stacked on the bed that would soon be Julio's. In a few short hours, Julio would be flying in to the airport in New York City.

"I'm so dang nervous," Jed mumbled, shoving his cowboy hat on his shaggy hair as he paced the floor in the living room. "Pa, when's this dude gonna get here...? I'm so ding dang nervous... Darn all..."

Julio had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he knew that. He was the second eldest of five, but it did nothing to change how spoiled the five were. He was from an old Italian family that had been incredibly wealthy as far back as they could trace. And only getting wealthier, to be honest.

He loved his family, from his annoying older sister to his overprotective mother, and he admittedly loved the money they had, but he tried his best to keep himself grounded. Even when he was doing ridiculous things like taking sword fighting lessons, learning Latin with private tutors for the fun of it, or attending Eton. 

When his father had brought up studying abroad a semester in his junior year, he'd been ecstatic. His older sister had done it and there were plans for all his younger siblings to do it as well, but Julio didn't think he'd be allowed. His mother was ridiculous about babying him and was convinced that if he was more than a train ride away, he'd immediately get ill and drop dead.

Julio supposed he couldn't blame her. He really did get sick quite often and when he was a young boy he'd gotten a nasty case of pneumonia that had fucked with his lungs and left his already existing asthma much worse. But Julio kept insisting to her that he was fine. He got sick far less these days and there were doctors in New York, should worse come to worse. Eventually, after much nagging, his mother had caved, provided he called everyday.

He'd been unbelievably excited as he made the plane ride over, trying but failing to fall asleep on the plane ride. He'd be exhausted when he got home, but that was no matter. For now he was too excited to sleep. 

Jed's father found his son's anxiousness incredibly amusing. "Calm down, kid. He'll be here in an hour or two."

Jed groaned, pacing around the room and wringing his hands nervously. "I... I dunno, dad, I jus'... Somethin'a makin' me real anxious! I dunno what it is, but... I feel like somethin's gonna happen! I dunno what, but somethin' important!!" He groaned, ruffling the fur of their dog as he walked by the pup. "God, I hope Julio likes me... I dunno, people who live in Britain can be dicks... I'm jus' so nervous...!"

"It'll be fine." he said, sitting down. Admittedly, he'd been worried about having such a wealthy boy living with them. His family was well off, but nowhere near the extent of the Thuríns. But before agreeing to host the boy he and his wife had video chatted with them and Julio really did seem like a sweet boy, so they were looking forward to it. "Well,I'm sure as long as you don't mention that you think the people in his country are dicks, I'm sure you two will get along."

Jed groaned, sitting beside his father on the couch. "Golly... I'm so nervous... Why can't he just get here already?!" Their dog jumped up on his lap, and Jed rolled his eyes, hugging the black and white mutt close and ruffling his scruffy fur. "When's he gonna be here? I can't wait much longer!!!!"

"He can't really make the plane faster, Jed." Will reminded him. He patted the dog's head for a moment before his phone dinged with a text. He checked quickly and stood up. "You're in luck. Flight got in early."

Jed jumped to his feet, forgetting about the dog on his lap. The dog fell to the ground with a surprised yelp, then hopped to his feet, tail wagging as he looked up at Jed in confusion.

"Sorry, Glen!" Jed laughed, grabbing his drawstring backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. "It's time ta go get Julio!! Aw, shit, I'm so excited...!" He laughed, shifting from foot to foot excitedly. "Cmon, dad! Ya comin' with me?"

Will rolled his eyes, patting Glen on the head as he went to grab the house and car keys. His wife was off at the moment but she was going to meet them later that night after they picked up Julio. "Poor dog, at the mercy of your excitement." he laughed.

He went out with him, starting up the car and pulling out of the driveway. They lived in a suburb just outside of New York City, so it would be a bit of a drive to get to the JFK airport. "We'll be there in an hour and a half or so. So try to calm down a bit, yeah?"

"An hour and a half?!" Jed squirmed in his seat, frowning. "That's too long...! What if he gets lost at the airport?! What if he gets bored an' wanders off?! Aw, damn...!" Jed whined, buckling his seatbelt as he shifted anxiously. "I... We need ta get there faster, Pa!"

"Jed, I'm pretty sure he won't get lost or wander off." he assured him, starting the drive. "I already texted to tell him that we're on our way and to sit tight until we get there."

Jed groaned, kicking his legs impatiently. "Hurry up'n drive faster...!! I wanna get there soon!" Jed bit at his thumbnail anxiously, worrying. What would Julio be like? Would he even want to be friends with Jed? What if he was hot? Jed gulped at that thought. He had known he was homosexual for a while now, but he wasn't out of the closet yet. What if Julio was repulsed by homosexuals? Jed couldn't bear the thought of sharing a room with a homophobe for an entire semester. He supposed he'd just have to see how things went...

"I'm driving as fast as the law will let me get away with." Will told him, shaking his head. He knew his son was nervous but this was getting a little ridiculous. "Why don't you take a nap? It'll make time go by faster."

"Fine..." Jed groaned, grabbing a blanket out of the back seat and covering himself with it, curling up into a ball like he always did when he slept. "See ya when we get there." He fell into a fitful sleep, anxiety making him toss and turn.

"Sleep well." Will said, turning on the music at a low volume as they drove onto the highway. Just under two hours later, he shook Jed awake after he parked the car. "Son, we're here."

Jed jolted awake, eyes wide in excitement. "Oh, shit, we are..!!" He hopped out of the car, tripping over his blanket. With an embarrassed groan, he threw the blanket back into the car, then began to jog to the entrance of the airport. "Cmon, dad!! We need ta get 'im!!"

"Slow down, Josiah!" Will called out, turning off the car and then hurrying along after him. "He said he was waiting at the Starbucks by the baggage claim. So... if you see him, just run over, all right?"

"Can do!!" Jed whooped, dashing towards the Starbucks. He knew from his dad's descriptions that Julio was a boy a bit shorter and skinnier than him, with brown hair and tan skin. However, what he didn't expect was a total babe of a boy waiting their in the Starbucks.

Waiting there at the Starbucks, sipping on a coffee, was the most beautiful man Jed had ever laid eyes on. He had perfectly tanned skin, expertly styled hair, a rumpled blue plaid shirt that was unbuttoned at the top, cuffed jeans, and... Was that a few piercings Jed saw? Overall, despite being quite twiggy, Julio had the most amazing body Jed had ever seen.

Jed faltered, standing at the entrance of the Starbucks with a slack jaw, his cheeks flushed a deep red. He was too shocked and too amazed to make a move towards Julio, to introduce himself.

Julio had known to expect the delay in being picked up. The plane had arrived early, therefore Will hadn't been able to leave to pick him up with time to spare. He didn't mind the wait, though. He was able to call his mother and assure her that he'd arrived in New York safely and she could stop fussing and worrying. When she'd finally let him hang up, he'd gone to the closest Starbucks to get hyped up on caffeine and survive his jetlag. He was beginning to regret not sleeping on the plane.

He had changed into a fresh set of clothes between cups of coffee, wanting to look his best when he met his host family. He'd brushed his hair and made sure he looked nice before sitting back down for another coffee, playing games on his phone while he waited. Every once in a while, he looked up to see if he spotted the Smiths, which was how he managed to see the boy who he had to assume was his hist family's son at the door.

And he really was absolutely gorgeous. It took everything in his power not to blush as he got up, gathered his bags and went over to him. He - Josiah, he believed his name was? - was absolutely breath taking. He had blond hair and gorgeous eyes, just Julio's type, and perfect, soft looking skin that had Julio, with his face full of spots and acne, jealous. Yes, this boy would be a wonderful room mate to have.

"You must be.... Josiah?" he asked, testing out the name. There were hints of the Italian accent bleeding through his English accent, but his English was flawless. He had after all, spent most of his life in the UK. Julio smiled and upon getting asked confirmation, he leaned forward, kissing both of his cheeks and then reaching to shake his hand. "I'm Julio. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Y...yeah," Jed breathed shyly, taking in the sight of the beautiful man greedily. When he felt Julio's soft lips press against his cheeks, Jed gasped, his freckled face burning hot all the way up to his ears.

"J-Julio... Y-yeah," Jed murmured, giving the other a firm handshake with a clammy hand. "Uh... I-I'm Josiah... B-but... You can call me Jed." He gave a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "N-nice ta meet ya, roomie..."

"Jed? All right. Jed, then." he smiled, nodding as he shook his hand. "Is that your father there?" he said, smiling as he saw Will approaching. "Mr. Smith it's good to finally meet you!" Julio said, giving him the same greeting he'd given his son.

"Ah, right. Italians really do that, huh?" he laughed. "But please, just call me Will. You ready to head home? Bit of a drive, I'm afraid. Jed, help him out with his luggage."

"Y-yeah..." Jed nodded, looking a bit dazed as he picked up Julio's bags and began to carry them. The seasoned farm boy may or may not have tried to flex a little bit as he walked by his roommate.

"I, uh... I-I'll sit in back with ya when we ride home," Jed murmured sheepishly. "S-so ya won't be lonely."

Julio picked up the rest of the bags, thanking Jed for his help as Will led them back outside to the garage was parked in. He nodded and smiled at him. "Thank you. We can start getting to know each other."

Jed inwardly cursed himself as he put the bags in the trunk. He was making a fool of himself!! Julio clearly didn't feel the attraction that Jed felt, so why did Jed have to act like a lovesick teen? Well... Perhaps because he /was/ a lovesick teen. With a shake of his shaggy blonde hair, Jed opened the door for Julio, then went around to the other side and hopped into the car.

"So... Uh, how was th' flight...?" Jed asked, shifting awkwardly with a nervous smile. "Was is... Good...?"

Julio put the bags he'd been taking in the trunk as well, with the exception of his carry on which went in the back seat with him. He got in, sitting in the corner and buckling up. "Oh, the flight was... long. I didn't sleep at all and I'm exhausted now, but I was just too excited."

"I suppose you'll just go home, have dinner, and fall right to sleep, huh? Well, Jed can show you around tomorrow." Will assured him.

"Well... Ya had a long day. You've been through a lot," Jed acknowledged as he pulled the blanket from the front seat. With a caring expression, he tucked the blanket around Julio, smiling. "You can nap on th' way home... We won't judge." He chuckled, shyly patting Julio's shoulder. "That way, ya can stay up a bit longer fer dinner, instead'a fallin' asleep at th' table."

"Oh, are you sure?" he asked, checking his watch, which was still set to London time. It was almost eleven back home and he'd gotten up obscenely early so a nap sounded divine. "Well, maybe I'll nap for a little bit. Just a bit, though." he said, wrapping the blanket tightly around himself.

"Just a bit." Will agreed from up front, though he had no intention of waking the boy.

Jed smiled, watching Julio as he fell asleep. For some reason, this other boy seemed to be something that would become a big part of Jed's life. He wasn't sure why he felt that way, but... Jed felt a strong connection to Julio. Perhaps he was jumping the gun here, but he couldn't fight the feeling that this was the start of something big.


	5. Chapter 5

Julio had, predictably, not woke up after just a little bit. He'd slept all car ride long, at some point having tilted over and leaning heavily on Jed as he slept. He hadn't even stirred at that, too far gone to care. When they got home, it was Will that shook him awake. "Hey, bud, we're here."

Julio stirred awake, looking quite embarrassed to see that he'd fallen asleep on Jed. "I, uh, apologize. I didn't intend to sleep the whole ride home."

Jed blushed, withdrawing the arm he had draped across Julio at some point during the ride. It had felt so comfortable, so right, that he had cuddled up to Julio when the other laid against him. If Jed was honest, he had also drifted off to dreamland for a bit during the ride, and when Will woke Julio, he was truly waking them both.

"Uh... 'T'ain't no thing," Jed laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "G-glad ta see ya got good rest."

Will had been tempted to take blackmail pictures of the two boys sleeping against each other, but decided against it since he still wasn't that close to Julio. Had this happened later, though, well the boys wouldn't have gotten off so easy.

He started taking out Julio's bags as the Italian came around to help out. "Yeah. It was a good power nap." Julio agreed, nodding as he took his luggage out of the trunk of the car.

Jed nodded sheepishly as he hopped out of the car, grabbing a couple bags. "Heh... Yeah..." He smiled shyly, giving a nervous laugh. "W-well... Cmon, Julio... I'll show ya our room, heh... We can put yer stuff away."

"Yes, that would be great, thank you." Julio smiled, nodding as he followed him inside so he could drop his things off and then be introduced to Jed's mother. As well as properly get to know everyone, instead of just dozing off.

When Jed opened the door to his room, he put down the bags next to Julius's bed, smiling shyly. The room was practically divided in half; Jed's side was covered in posters and decorations, but Julius's side had been bared so Julius's could decorate however he wanted.

"Here ya go, Oct," Jed chuckled, putting a hand on his hips. He paused, frowning and furrowing his eyebrows. Where had that come from? "I mean... Julio." He sat down on his bed, feeling rather confused and a bit upset. Why had he called Julio that? That was really bizarre. Jed was usually great with names! Also, he didn't even know anyone called Oct! The whole thing was just bizarre.

"Hell... That was weird, I dunno where that came from... That was weird," Jed laughed nervously, feeling his chest tighten in anxiety. "Fuck, I'm sorry, Julio..."

Julio was glad to see the half of the room he had and how it was empty for him to do as he pleased. He'd been expecting posters of American football and half naked girls everywhere.

He put his bags in a corner, to be unpacked tomorrow when he wasn't as tired. He chuckled a bit awkwardly at the slip up and nodded. "It's all right, mate. Justa mistake. I've been called worse, don't worry." he laughed.

"That was weird," Jed grumbled, shaking his head. "I don't even /know/ anyone called Oct..! Why in th' hell would I call ya that...? Damn, I'm so sorry..." He stood, patting Julio on the back gently.

"How can I make that up ta ya, Julio...?" Jed inquired, brow furrowed in concern. "I wanna make this better."

"It was just a slip up on my name, don't worry." he laughed. He shook his head. "There is nothing to make up. But I suppose if you really want, why don't you go introduce me to your mother and we'll have dinner?"

Jed blushed, nodded. "Heh... Yeah..." He led Julio downstairs, going to the living room. "Hey, mama? This is Julio... Th' guy who's stayin' with us...?" For whatever reason, Jed felt incredibly awkward introducing Julio to his mother. It was like taking his boyfriend to meet his parents, except Julio wasn't his boyfriend... Only an acquaintance.

Jed's mother looked up from her knitting, smiling warmly. "Oh, hello, dear! I'm Kara; pleased to meet you!" She stuck out a hand for Julio to shake, giving him a winning smile.

Julio followed him downstairs. It was a nice house from what he'd seen. Much smaller than he was used to, but he liked it. It was warm and cozy.

He smiled brightly at Kara, shaking her hand and then kissing her cheeks. "Oh no, ma'am, the pleasure is all mine. Thank you for allowing me to stay in such a beautiful home while I am here."

"Oh...! What a charming young man!" Kara chuckled, smiling brightly at Julio. "Oh, you'll have to give me your shirt size so I can knit you a sweater!"

"Mama..." Jed groaned in embarrassment, dipping his hat over his eyes.

Julio smiled sweetly, nodding. "I've never had anyone knit me a sweater before, that would be lovely." he told her. "And I must say, I see how you have such a handsome son. He must get it from such a beautiful mother." Julio told her.

Jed bit his lip, shoving his hat further down his face as his cheeks and ears burned cherry red. Julio thought he was handsome...? That was an amazing thought, but embarrassing all the same.

"Oh, my, what a kind young man you are!" Kara grinned, giggling. "I'd bet you're a real diplomat! Your parents have raised you well, that's for sure. We tried to do the same with Jed, but... That boy has an iron will and is stubborn as a mule. He wouldn't be tamed."

"Mama!" Jed cried indignantly, face burning hotter. She was embarrassing him in front of a guy he liked! Oh, the humility!

"Oh, I'm sure he's a splendid young man. I'm afraid I was asleep for most of the car ride here, but he seems wonderful so far." Julio assured her. He turned over to Jed, laughing as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come now, there's no reason to look so embarrassed."

"She's makin' me sound like a fool," Jed complained, feeling his heart race as Julio's hand rested on his shoulder. "I don't wanna seem dumb t'my new roomie... I... I wanna impress you!"

Kara covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her giggles as she watched her son interact with Julio. It became very clear to her that her son had a crush on the exchange student, and she grinned behind the safety of her hand. This would be like watching a soap opera, but in real life! Oh, how she would enjoy this.

"That is what mothers are for. Making their kids look like fools." Julio said, laughing as he shrugged. "For what it's worth, I don't think you seem dumb." Julio couldn't help but think that Jed was very, very cute, but he wasn't about to tell Jed that in front if his mother.

Will came over after supper was ready, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders. "All right, Romeo and Julio. Supper's ready. Come and eat, boys."

"Will!" Kara scolded, laughing as she gave him a look. Although Jed hadn't come out to them yet, the two had known from the time Jed was very young that the boy wasn't straight. She wanted to keep the teasing at a minimum for now, since Jed didn't want them to know quite yet.

"Aw, damn," Jed grumbled in embarrassment, ears burning. "S-sorry, Julio..."

Julio just laughed and let Will show him to where the dining room was so he could sit to eat. Despite having lived in England, he still spent a lot of time in Rome with his very big, very loud family so all this teasing and joking about just made this strange new house in a strange new country feel more like home.

Jed sat down at the table, pulling out the chair next to him for Julio. "Hope yer hungry, pardner... Mama an' Pa usually make enough food ta feed an army!" He laughed, putting his napkin on his lap politely like he had been taught. "Gotta have energy ta keep up after th' animals... Since school don't start bac up, tomorrow I can show ya th' horses!! You'll /love/ Gaius. He's my show horse, an' he's about th' sweetest thing ya could ever meet!"

With a chuckle, Kara brought out the meal for the hungry family. The meal consisted of roast chicken, mashed potatoes, fresh steamed green beans, and homestyle mac and cheese. "Alrighty... Everyone serve themselves!"

Julio nodded as he sat down next to him. "It's like.... one in the morning back home and I haven't eaten since... five, I think it was? It's a bit of a blur, really. So no worries, I think I can eat enough for a small army."

"Maybe, just maybe, now with two hungry teenage boys in the house, we'll stop having so many leftovers all the time." Will chuckled, reaching forward to start eating.

"Wait! I have to Instagram this." Julio said, taking a quick picture. "All right, mi dispiace, it had to be done." he said, shrugging a bit sheepishly as he put his phone away again and served himself some food.

Jed looked at Julio peculiarly as he snapped the photo, then burst out laughing. "Ya know, you remind me'a someone... I dunno who, but... Someone. Someone funny." He chuckled, serving himself heaping portions of the food items, licking his lips. "Mmmm..."

"I'm not being funny!" Julio laughed. "I promised the boys at home that I would put up pictures of McDonald's, of all the flags I saw, and my first proper meal here. So I have to keep my promise." He grinned, shrugging as he started to eat.

Jed paused, snickering. "Don't they have McDonald's there? I thought it was an international company! It ain't like it's some rare thing, goofball!" He laughed as he dug into his meal, enjoying the feeling of warm food in his belly. Often, Jed overate when the meal was as good as this, but luckily for him, he had a rather quick metabolism.

"We do, but it's just so American! Besides, my friends back home are convinced that I arrived here and as I got off the plane, was handed a double cheeseburger, an AK-47, and like.... a flag to drape over myself." Julio laughed. "Oh and samurai swords! And that it was all just the standard 'Welcome to America' package. Sort of like getting to England and being given tea and a corgi."

Jed quirked an eyebrow, snickering. "An AK-47, huh? Cheeseburger, gun, and an American flag... Damn, yer perception'a us is weird!" He paused, trying to figure out whether to take the bit about the tea and corgi seriously. "I mean, yeah, we do stuff like that... We got guns an' burgers an' flags, but... I promise, it ain't as bad as y'all foreigners make it sound!"

Julio grinned as he had a few big forkfuls of food and a long drink of water. "That's sorta how we picture it here, yeah. Guns and flags and fast food. That's all that shows up in the movies and shows and stuff."

"Good lord," Jed snickered around a mouthful of macaroni. He gulped it down, smirking and licking his lips. "Bet I'm not helpin' things much, with my lack'a manners! Ain't that one'a th' American stereotypes? Heh, I guess I'm a typical American to ya, Julio."

"It is. But it's all right, you're allowed one or two stereotypes. I drink tea and talk with my hands. That's English and Italian, right there." he smiled.

Jed laughed, patting Julio on the shoulder. "Heh, yer alright, bud. I think I'm gonna like bein' yer roomie."

"Yes, I like you too." Julio agreed, nodding. "Admittedly, I had been a bit worried that we wouldn't get along."

"Me too," Jed chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was real nervous... But turns out, yer a great guy! Heh, I got lucky!"

Julio gave him a sweet smile and finished eating. 

Will stood up and started gathering empty plates. "Well, I'm sure you're exhausted, Julio. We can clean up here if you want to go to bed."

"I'll be up soon," Jed promised Julio, gathering plates as well. "Sleep well, Julio. Tomorrow, I'm gonna give ya th' grand tour!!"

Julio nodded. "Goodnight, everyone. Hopefully I'll be more awake tomorrow." he said, laughing. He went one by one to kiss all their cheeks good night and then headed up to bed.

Jed blushed at the kiss on his cheek, putting his hand over the spot and tracing it once Julio was out of sight. "Wow..."

"Wow indeed," Kara snickered, quirking an eyebrow. With a grimace, Jed threw a green bean at her, which only caused her to laugh harder.

Will laughed. "You're bright red, son." he told him. "In case you wanna take care of it before going up to your room." he teased. 

Upstairs, Julio stripped down to his boxers, not bothering to dig out his pyjamas. He'd get them the next evening. For now, he just crashed on the bed and fell right to sleep.

"Dad!!" Jed cried, face going even redder. He groaned, running to the bathroom and splashing cold water on his face as Will and Kara laughed.

"When do you think he'll tell us?" Kara asked with a smirk, fighting to contain her giggles.

"I'm convinced at this point it'll be at his wedding or something." Will said, laughing as he shook his head. "Or maybe we'll get lucky and it'll be his engagement instead."

Kara chuckled, shaking his head. "That boy... Doesn't he know we love him anyway? Ah, well... He'll tell us when he's ready."

"He'll tell us eventually..." Will said, shaking his head. "Maybe Julio will get it out of him. He seems.... flamboyant." 

Once Jed had cooled himself sufficiently, he went upstairs, quietly entering his room. The sight that met his eyes was one that made his cheeks burn red all over again. Julio lay on the bed, nothing on but his boxers. The other boy was thin, yes, but he had the faint contours of muscles adorning his beautiful, slightly tanned body. 

Jed was practically drooling as he whipped out his phone, turning off the volume and then snapping a picture. He knew that perhaps that wasn't the most polite thing to do, but he wanted to preserve that beautiful moment. Oh, how he wanted to reach out and touch that beautiful body...! But he couldn't. He couldn't allow himself to break that easily. With a soft groan, Jed changed into his pajama pants, trying to keep himself calm as he did so. He left his shirt off, though, since his room could get hot at night.

Julio slept right through Jed going into the room. His body had been ready to shut down ages ago and it was glad to take the chance now. He did shift around a bit when Jed settled on his bed, moving to sleep in his stomach instead.

Jed glanced over at Julio when he shifted on the bed, eyes widening. Oh, hell, even his back was gorgeous! Being ever so quiet, Jed stood again, going to Julio's bed and snapping another picture. He bit his lip, shuddering at the gorgeous sight, then slipped back into bed before Julio noticed him hovering. It was certainly going to be hard for him to sleep with that image burned into his mind...


End file.
